Yoga for 2 @ Evolve

When I envisioned this yoga blog adventure I hoped to bring friends and loved ones along as well. So far so good, and I am making that dream a reality. Much to my delight back in February I saw many specialty workshop classes being posted around Valentines Day in the form of "couples" yoga or "partner" yoga = another chance to drag my willing partner along ;)

Heart Opener

There were several classes around the triangle to choose from and we ended up at Evolve Cameron Village location. WOW, what a beautiful place, we had a few minutes to look in the Pilates room and the boutique. The facility is lovely, clean and inviting with a big community bulletin board ( one of my favorite things).

It was a 2 hour class taught by Conni, an instructor I have had the pleasure of experiencing at the YMCA. 2 hours of partner yoga was a lot, I admit I was feeling a bit like gumby by the end. 

Whatever floats your "Double Boat"

All partner assisted poses allow for a deeper- longer stretch because you are receiving the support, energy and strength of the other person. Connie designed the last 10-15 mins of class into a much needed relaxation and massage portion, where we learned how to provide relaxation to one anothers neck, shoulders and face. Best. shavasana. ever !

"You push my back I'll push yours"

As a background Aaron and I took partner yoga classes many many moons ago in Ft. Collins CO. ( pre marriage- pre kids!) Partner yoga is fun and unique, I highly recommend it for couples and friends. I was excited to see it pop up around here and wish it was part of a regular class offerings.

I recommend a book entitled Partner Yoga for further exploration. It includes a section of yoga with kids.

 

Photos courtesy of Conni  

Thank you!

Yoga Midterm

As part of my AFFA Personal trainer certification I am required to do continuing education credits. What better way to fulfill this requirement than an all day "practical yoga instructor" workshop. To prepare, I completed two "yoga essentials" online courses- which mainly amounted to vocabulary, history and the study of basic asanas. I was required to take mini quizzes to fulfill the courses. 

This yoga instructor class was held at the enormous recreation facility of NC State in Raleigh. Wow - quite the place. The building went on and on for days- rock wall, pool, indoor track, the largest locker room I have ever seen. Our class was in a normal multi- purpose room- with a  well equipped  equipment closet, I snagged a blanket to fold up and sit on when, I saw we'd be on the floor, on our mats all day. Duh, yoga. No desks or chairs in site. There were roughly 30 of us in the class- from young college students who worked at the rec. center, to  group fitness professionals from all over the state of all ages and backgrounds. Some had extensive yoga class experience, some had a background in dance, Pilate's, boot camps and senior fitness, one person had only been to one other yoga class ever.

My AFFA cont. ed instructor was a great inspiration for fitness, she was well spoken, and enthusiastic to teach us.  She taught a variety of aerobic classes as a profession, as well as tai chi, she is also a massage therapist- she knew anatomy very well. To jump in, we went through an hour long hatha yoga class- focusing on the primary poses that we would later be breaking down and studying in depth. We ended the class with a final 1 hour yoga session, with a few more advanced poses included. There was no testing involved, just participation. We took turns volunteering to demonstrate poses in front of the class and the instructor would discuss the pose in depth. We broke into small groups and practiced teaching poses to one another. She went over breath work, class set up, and use of music and lighting.

Sanskrit names were not used- the focus was on form, injury prevention and the modifications, and progressions depending on the students one would have in a class setting. Contraindications were discussed and and how to approach / include safely special populations- such as seniors, and prenatal participants. You never know what the dynamics of a class might be, and the reminder to breath-  breath - breath was of up most importance. The instructor tols us she could remind her class to breath upwards of 100 times in one class. She went over a breathing techniques, class set up, and use of music and lighting.

After 7 hours,  I was ready to not be on my purple mat anymore, the tips of my fingers were sore form rooting down and my shoulders were on fire. When we concluded I walked away very happy I enrolled, it was a great way to spend a Sunday. I learned a few more things, started to feel my inner voice and style come through. I feel ready to take even more classes- dive deeper.

Next up... was a partner yoga class with my husband at Evolve.

Digging my Well

I woke up early this weekend to make an 8:30am "Juicy Yoga" class offered on Saturday at Blue Lotus Studio in Raleigh- an urban (yet quiet) yoga studio near great dining and galleries. Also a pretty quick 30 min drive from my house. Would probably make another fun date activity for the hubby and me.

There are inspiring quotes on the glass walls as you enter. I snapped a quick picture of this one;

"Be Courageous and discipline yourself. Work. Keep digging your well. Don't think about getting off from work. Water is there somewhere. Submit to the daily practice. Your loyalty to that is a ring on the door. Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out to see who's there".  Rumi

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Juicy Yoga, the description said:

"Yoga is a simple and ancient practice that joins two parts of our humanity -- our minds, which are often busy or distracted, and our hearts -- our innermost nature, which naturally seek spiritual focus and awareness.This 90-minute class is for the inexperienced and the experienced! All you need is a willingness to learn and find out about things your body can do!Come and play and get juicy!!!May want to bring a towel and water."

Since I am eager to learn and generally willing to play, I thought, hey why not get my gypsy yoga project taken care of early in the weekend and I'll have the rest of the weekend to myself. Plus I have been looking at their 9 month teacher training program and I want to get to know the studio.

For this class I arrived early, no rush. I practically snuck out of my house at 7:45am with no one but the dog seeing me leave, her fluffy tail wagging me a fond farewell.

I'm thinking that getting here early is a bonus regarding parking if you want to park close to the studio. Since I am a bit fussy about setting up my space I like the quiet time before a class to get settled. The teacher, Yvonne asked me if I had done yoga before and asked me if I knew about this class, "only from the online description" I said. She informed me that this particular class was only offered once a month and that we'd be doing a form of Kundalini Yoga with Kriyas mixed with flow yoga. The Kriyas were movements / exercises done for 4 mins at a time. We would be building heat she said.

I wasn't sure about a class with a Kundalini slant. I was a little nervous, but interested to see what was going to unfold. I took a Kundalini yoga class many, many moons ago in Boulder and my only take away was feeling light headed. The teacher wore a turban and was kinda spooky. I probably ended up leaving early....."Old moths as an old friend used to say.

Juicy Yoga filled up very quickly, about 30 people filled up the studio. We were in rows- mostly regulars I am assuming, a variety of ages, both male and female, everyone seemed to be decidedly fit and experienced yogis. My only choice was go with the flow I would not fold.  Yvonne proceeded to take us through a balanced class of intense yogic exercises mixed vinyasas. The class got my heart rate up, focused me and relaxed me at the same time. A good workout, both for the mind and body. I am glad to know my body well enough know that I can modify anything to avoid injury, and I can push myself when I feel inclined. I remained on the edge of discomfort during most of the Kriyas, but still allowed myself to move in new ways. I'm glad I didn't walk out, though I don't think I could or would ever walk out on a class again, I'm just too interested in what's going on! I wouldn't recommend this for a first timers or even for someone not used to group exercise settings or breath work.

I'm not sure why this particular class is only offered once a month, I should have asked- it certainly filled the room! I'm not sure if I would do it again- except to bring a friend to check it out. I do know that I liked the set up of the studio and that I would like to go back to try out different classes.

Interesting side note: after this class I felt a real rush of creative juices regarding a home project I am working on, normally I am very wishy-washy- hesitant and undecided when trying to get things done. But after this class I had several creative inspirations, regarding special projects and personal ideas. Kundalini rising? Who knows?

Thank you Yvonne at Blue Lotus for being a new inspiration to my yogi journey. 

Yoga Date Franklin St. Yoga Center

Yoga "Date"

I twisted my husbands willing arm to head out on a date night to Franklin St Yoga Center in Chapel Hill this weekend. The allure of an Vinyasa Level 1-2 Intermediate located in the same tranquil courtyard as our very favorite Indian restaurant was an easy sell. 

Chapel Hill is a bit of a haul for us- yes I'm still coming out of my suburb cocoon, don't laugh, it's like pulling teeth to get out of this vortex. There was adverse weather and a chatty babysitter to contend with so I was stressed to arrive on time. But we got there with time to spare... a fast moving check in line greeted us at the door and I peeked in the yoga room- filled to the brim! I worried we were going to be turned away!  We were checked in with a smile, and we were reminded that our first class was free ! I noticed fresh hair bands in a bowl at the front desk, and a nice sitting lounge area in front. Fellow students left shoes at the entrance in a giant shoe picnic and there were cubbies in the studio for purses and other personal affects.

This was pretty much the polar opposite of last weeks class- as you might recall, last week I was the only student. Today 40 + lined up in 3 neat rows- spots were marked by small tape marks. A plethora of college students filled the room but there was still a wide range of ages and body sizes. I was grateful to see a few open places in the first row-  why does everyone crowd in the back? Anyways, I'm not scared of being in the front row- by now I am fairly certain no one is starting at me and I was happy to not have a bunch of other bodies in my line of sight to distract me.

Our teacher Nathan conducted a very up tempo flow- I lost track of the chatarangas - maybe a dozen at least. Great core and balance segment. I truly regretted forgetting my towel! Every muscles in my body was at one point fired up, rung out and left to hang out to dry.  I had to keep my wits about me and tune out the crowd. The room got warm, but was never stuffy or smelly. Class went by fast- I thought we were even cheated a few mins, but  the 1h and 15mins just simply flew by. Losing track of time is always a good thing in my book- as I am constantly racing to the next thing.

My husband and I reconvened in the lobby and concured that we had worked up healthy appetite and  certainly earned our dinner date.he mere fact that this bustling energetic yoga school is right next to my favorite restaurant will spark the need to go back- try another class. I'd like to bring my girl friends and make an afternoon of it- maybe grab lunch next time and do some window shopping in downtown Chapel Hill. 

Franklin St. Yoga Center offers teacher trainings, yoga basics workshops and a running club. The center participates in community service projects as well. Some interesting offerings on the class schedule include "Rock your asana" ( class set to a variety of music genres ) private yoga parties, ashtanga vinyasa, and meditation.

Some quick details I can't guarantee will stay the same- so of course check out their website for most current info. 

First class free!

Drop in is $15 -  ( $10 for students)

Variety of pass cards available.

Special offer going on right now... 30 days for $30

The cash we saved on our free class went to our giant vegan Indian feast and Vimalas;)

A fun date night, and just one more local yoga class under my mat.  Yay!

Look for me on Twitter soon  @onthegoyogini

 

Trikonasana in the Triangle

Trikonasana in the Triangle

Happy New Year!

I didn't make any resolutions this year. However I did decide to do something new, with the convergence of both a passion for yoga and the desire  to get out and about. I got in my head to try atleast one new yoga class at every dedicated yoga studio within the NC triangle area this year, and write about it. 

I'm doing this for adventure, for a change of scenery, to shake up my routine, to learn more about yoga and likely learn more about  myself in the process.  I want to see what other places have to offer, explore workshops, teacher training programs and yoga styles. I will be forced out of my comfort zone and out of my little town bubble- atleast once a week, maybe more, maybe less. I also hope to share my findings with you too- maybe entice a few people to try a new yoga studio in the area- or to try yoga for the first time! 

There is a lot to consider when looking for a yoga "home"- location, teaching style, ambiance, culture & cost. I have been super lucky here in Wake Forest, I can take quality yoga at the Kerr & Factory YMCA and for the past few months have become a regular at Wake Forest Yoga an absolutely stunning studio, I really love going there, the teachers never fail to teach a warm, inviting, & engaging classes.

I decided to start this new journey the first weekend in January. It's possible this project might take several months, even a year- depending on how many places there truly are in the area. So far, the numbers look staggering in Raleigh - Durham- Chapel Hill alone! I will do a formal count, potentially narrowing it down to 50 studios or less. It's unscientific, and in the true spirit of yoga I will be compassionate with myself when or if things don't go as planned!

Yesterday was my first adventure, I trekked down to Cary to visit the  NC School of Yoga, pretty much on accident, a misread on another studios schedule caused me to quickly look for a later occuring class in the Raleigh area. I called up the NC School to make sure the 5:30 Hatha was still taking place and I was informed that it was still on, but that I had to pre-register online, and that I would need the address as it is not listed on the website.  So I got myself registered ( they just needed my name and contact information)  and headed their way from downtown Raleigh. I had some time to kill before class and I was nervous to pop in too early so I did some research on the school and became intrigued with the idea of gurus, and the focus being on "pure teachings of classical Yoga". They also offer teacher trainings and specialty workshops such as restorative yoga, meditation, prenatal and kids yoga. This enchanting school  / ashram is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Cary, large properties, and the homes are set back from the road. The yoga room is located in the walk out basement of the main home, recently remodeled, is fresh, clean and welcoming. Payments for classes are on the honor system, it was $14 drop in fee.

The decor brought me back to some of the mountain yoga studios I had been to in Colorado- lots of images of deities, framed pictures of gurus, incense burning at the entrance.  I imagined the surrounding landscape in the spring would be amazing. I was the only person in the class tonight, my teacher was Sarah. After a bit of chit -chat the class began. I did some poses I had not done in a while- such as shoulder stand, plow, bridge and some intense breathing exercises. The Shavasana time was part guided meditation and I left the class feeling content, well stretched,  even a bit energized while never breaking a sweat. I am glad my journey started here! Thank you Sarah and NC School of Yoga.